All posts by newtonstem

Amateur Radio Field Day, June 25-26

The Sci-Tech Amateur Radio Society (STARS) at New England Sci-Tech (16 Tech Circle, Natick) and the Wellesley Amateur Radio Society will both participate in the worldwide Amateur Radio Field Day with their own family-friendly events open to the public on June 25-26.

  • The STARS event in Natick event will be open to the public June 25, 2PM-5PM and June 26, 10AM-2PM. Sign up on the form on this page. STARS will offer educational demonstrations, maker activities, tours, soldering workshops, and telescope viewing (weather permitting). The Field Day will operate outside in vans and tents using auxiliary power to simulate emergency conditions, but the building will be open. You will not need a radio license to participate in the radio practice and contests, as you can operate with one of the club’s General or Extra class licensees as the control operator. On-site training will be provided. Bonus:  NEST’s Yard Sale continues and will be open June 26, 9AM-Noon.
  • The Wellesley Amateur Radio Society will celebrate Amateur Radio Field Day with an event at the gazebo in the Needham War Memorial Park, open to public June 25 afternoon and June 26 morning.

LigerBots Host Info Night about FIRST LEGO League Robotics, June 22

Newton families with students in ages 4-16 — who are interested in STEM and/or robotics (or think they may be!) — are invited to a free information session about First Lego League (FLL), on Wednesday, June 22, 7:30-8:00PM, hosted by Newton’s high school robotics team, the LigerBots. Parents, guardians, students, and potential mentors can learn about how the FLL season and competitions run, what is required to participate, and what students can gain from the experience. This Info Night will be held at Newton South High School. Sign up here.

FIRST Lego League (FLL) is an annual robotics competition in which teams of 2-10 students build a robot, solve engineering challenges, and learn in a friendly competition. FLL offers different divisions for ages 4-6, 6-10, and 9-16+.

Several students currently on the LigerBots started in robotics by participating in FLL, and the high-school team has been extremely generous in mentoring Newton FLL teams and hosting two major FLL competitions each year. The Info Night speakers will include past FLL participants, ready to share experiences and answer questions. They will provide information on how students can start their own teams — and how adult do not need backgrounds in engineering to be successful FLL coaches! For more information, email cso@ligerbots.com

Grades 7-12: Register Now for MIT’s Summer Virtual HSSP, July 9-Aug. 13

Students entering Grades 7-12 (plus those who just graduated) are invited to register for MIT’s Summer HSSP, which will run virtually on six Saturdays, 1PM-4PM, July 9 – August 13. Register by June 26 with your preferences for classes to be entered in the lottery for class assignment. The total cost is $40, regardless of the number of classes taken, and generous need-based financial aid is available. The fee is paid after the lottery results are announced, during the period in which remaining seats may be reserved on a first-come/first-served basis. For more information, email summer-hssp@mit.edu. HSSP is run by MIT students, once again Zooming from far and wide to offer 25 courses (plus more to be added later), including these STEM-related ones:

  • Modeling Markets, Pandemics, and Peace: The Mathematics of Multi-Agent Systems
  • Intro to Computer Science and Programming with Python
  • A Very Basic Intro to Python Programming
  • Optimization in Graph Theory
  • Every Reference in “Finite Simple Group (of Order Two)” (And Possibly, Math (But No Promises))
  • Introduction to Proofs
  • Axiomatic Geometry and Proofs
  • Astrobiology
  • STEM Lecture Series
  • Problem Solving from Common Sense Extension
  • Environmental Pollution
  • Introduction to Epidemiology
  • Great and Small: Crazy Electrons
  • Saving the World with the Science of Sustainability!
  • Put Light to Work: Exploring the ultrafast with light
  • Astronaut Health: Optimization of Human Performance for the Extreme Environment of Space
  • Algorithmic Justice through Media Literacy Education
  • Beyond Medicine: Exploring Inclusivity and Equity in Healthcare

Museum of Science: Free, All-Day Forum on Using AI to Engineer a More Sustainable City, June 26

Boston’s Museum of Science will host a free, all-day forum — EmPowered by AI: Should We Engineer a More Sustainable City? — on June 26, 10AM-4PM. The forum will explore how artificial intelligence and machine learning can be used to develop sustainable solutions to the climate crisis on cities. Lunch will be provided. No background knowledge of artificial intelligence is required. This program is supported by the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, Toyota Research Institute, BNY Mellon, and The Boston Foundation.

Woods Hole Film Festival at Museum of Science: June 16, July 21, Aug. 18

As part of its Summer Thursdays evening events for ages 18+, Boston’s Museum of Science will host three films from the Woods Hole Film Festival at the museum’s Mugar Omni Theater:

  • June 16:  Bruce & Alvin, a short documentary about the history and future of Alvin, one of the world’s only remaining publicly-funded manned submersibles
  • July 21: After Antarctica, a documentary about an international expedition to this changing continent
  • August 18: Our Future, Our Fight: Wildfires, a short episode from a 10-part docuseries about climate change and fire

MassBioEd Life Sciences Scholarship and Awards: Apply by June 30

MassBioEd is accepting, until June 30, applications and nominations for the following scholarship and awards. For more information, email BioTeach@massbioed.org.

UMass Amherst Summer Pre-College Programs at Newton’s Mt. Ida Campus

UMass Amherst is offering three summer pre-college programs for students in Grades 10-12 at its Mt. Ida campus in Newton. Students can experience college-level academics, explore their interests, and get a feel for campus life. All programs meet Monday-Friday, 9AM-4PM, are taught by UMass faculty and advanced graduate students, and feature hands-on, project-based learning. Residential and commuter options are available. Applications are considered on a rolling basis through mid-June.

  • Building & Construction Technology: CityLab, July 10-30
  • Veterinary Technology, July 10-23